Iran Deploys 342 Fast-Attack Boats in Hormuz, Halting Commercial Traffic

7 articles · Updated · Fox News · May 13

Windward AI said 342 Iranian fast-attack boats were operating across five monitored zones in the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, with all large commercial vessels observed stationary.
The maritime intelligence firm said IRGC small craft clustered in the northern Hormuz Corridor in swarm-style and escort-like formations, disrupting shipping even after the count fell from 454 a day earlier.
The deployment still far exceeded the 27-to-230 range seen from May 4 to May 10, and followed a roughly 200-boat swarm on May 11 that brought the strait to a virtual standstill.
Iran has also widened its claimed operational definition of Hormuz, with officials saying the waterway is no longer a narrow passage and First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref declaring Tehran's rights there "established."
The disruption is feeding a broader diplomatic and economic crisis: Washington is pressing for a U.N. resolution condemning Iran's actions, while oil traded near $105.76 a barrel as markets watched the conflict.

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